Cayman- We took the city bus for $2.50 each person to Public Beach. We wish we had gone a little further down the beach, as Public Beach seemed too crowded.

Double Tree Galveston:

Because we arrived early (got off cruise ship), the staff held our bags while we went to get our rental car. When we returned, they had a room ready for us and had delivered our bags to our room. We got a room on the beachfront side 5th floor; very quiet. We had to call maintenance, as our sink plug was stuck in the down position. He replaced it right away. The room had a modern décor. I would say it needed new (or refreshed) carpet. It had stains on it and looked like someone dropped the iron on it. There also wasn’t enough lighting in the sleeping room or in the bathroom. This is a common problem for most hotels. Why not put plenty of lighting and people can choose whether or not to turn them all on. We used the fitness center, which is in a different building. Sort of an odd set-up, but it was adequate for our needs. Didn’t use the restaurant as breakfast was kind of expensive and there’s a McDonald’s just down the street. They do charge for parking your car, so it would’ve been nice to have a secured lot.

Galveston Limo:

Pre-paid for 2 of us to go from Houston Hobby airport to Galveston Port; it was $20 each person. Due to airline problems, we did not arrive when we were scheduled to meet the shuttle. We called them and arranged for a new shuttle time. The large charter bus arrived at Hobby airport on time and loaded everyone up for the trip to Galveston. It was a nice, clean bus and the driver was very professional. He loaded our bags carefully. We arrived at the pier and he dropped everyone off exactly where they needed to be. They were very pleasant to work with. Would definitely use again!

The Grand Opera House:

Beautiful old opera house! We looked around and the volunteer staff is clearly very proud of this facility! They told us lots of interesting information about the opera house. We sat in the 3rd tier of seats to watch the Oakridge Boys on Sunday, January 22nd. Our seats were up close to the railing, so if you are afraid of heights, don’t sit here. The rail isn’t very tall and it’s a long ways down! The Oakridge Boys put on a great show! We had a great afternoon at The Grand!

Jamaica- We just shopped a little in tourism village and walked through Margaritaville. It looked like a nice place to spend the day, but we didn’t stay. We like the Artisan areas and enjoy looking at everything people have made. I almost bought a basket, but couldn’t figure out how to take it home on the plane.

Cozumel- We took a taxi to Paradise Beach. It’s always nice! We did some shopping in the tourism village and the salesmen are way too pushy. Everyone said, “Almost free in my store”! We would appreciate some local crafts (leather, pottery, woodworking, etc.) and not so many t-shirt and diamond stores.